Corner sprocket mechanism for boring type mining machine



July 1, 1958 J. KARLOVSKY 2,841,

CORNER SPROCKET MECHANISM FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed April 5,1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

INVENTOR Jerry Karlovsky 4. m

July 1, 1958 J. KARLOVSKY 2,841,378

CORNER SPROCKET MECHANISM FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed April 5, 1957 D'Cl ' INVENTOR.

Jerry Karlovsky ATTORNEY y 1, 1953 Q .J. KARLOVSKY CORNER SPROCKETMECHANISM FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. By Jerry Karlovsky ATTORNEY CORNER SPRUCKETMECHANISM FOR BORING TYFE EVENING MACHINE 3 Claims. (Cl. 262-7) Thisinvention relates to improvements in mining machines of the multipleboring type, and has for its principal object to provide an improvedmechanism for laterally retracting and extending the corner sprocketsfor the cutter chain on the bottom cutter bar, cooperating with uprightpusher plates mounted on said bottom cutter bar at opposite sides of aconventional gathering conveyor.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a side View of a mining machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of one end of the lowercutter, bar, the corner chain sprocket, the pusher plate, and partsassociated therewith, and showing the moving parts in fully extendedposition;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the parts in retractedposition and with the cutter chain omitted;

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention illustratedin the drawings, a mining machine of the conventional multiple boringtype is indicated at 10 in Figure 1, having a main frame 11, on crawlertreads 12, and an auxiliary frame 13 mounted as usual for tiltingadjustment relative to the main frame. A pair of boring heads 14 aremounted side by side for rotation in advance of the auxiliary frame,each of said boring heads including a plurality of radial arms 15 withforwardly projecting cutter supports 15a thereon for cutting a pluralityof concentric kerfs in the mine face. A cuttings conveyor 16 is disposedlongitudinally along the main frame with a cuttings receiving throat 17opening adjacent the floor level, to the rear of the cutter heads (seeFigure 2).

The auxiliary frame 13 has upper and lower cutter chain carrying bars 18and 19 supported thereon and extending horizontally immediately behindthe cutter heads for removing the depending and upstanding cusps ofmineral left between the boring heads. These cutter bars are eachvertically adjustable by hydraulic jacks, one of which jacks is seen inFigure 2, consisting of a cylinder 20 mounted on the front face of theauxiliary frame 13, and with a piston 20a connected to the lower cutterbar 19.

The construction and arrangement of the parts above mentioned are wellknown in the art, so need not be described in greater detail exceptingas to the novel features which constitute the present invention.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show one end of the lower cutter bar 19, which issimilar at the opposite end (not shown). Said cutter bar has a chainguide 21 with an upstanding rib 22 along its outer end. An uprightpusher plate 23 rates Patent is mounted for lateral slidable movementalong the upper face of the chain guide 21. Said plate has a groove 24along its bottom edge slidably engaging the rib 22. A shoe 27 having alower groove 28 is pivoted on pin 29 projecting forwardly from a carrier36). Said shoe slidably embraces the upper edge of the plate 23 adjacentits outer end. Said carrier is vertically slidable at its rear end to aT-slot 31 in an upstanding projection 32 formed integral with the lowercutter bar. Said carrier is normally urged downwardly by a spring 33abutting the upper end 32a of the projections 32.

A back-up shoe 34 for the pusher plate 23 projects upwardly from thecutter bar 19 and is connected to the upstanding projection 32 of thelatter by a rib 35, as seen in Figure 4.

A cutter chain 36 of conventional link construction is guided formovementalong the chain guide 21 and passes to or from the outer end ofthe latter around an idler sprocket 37 mounted adjacent the lower,outermost corner of the pusher plate 23. In the form shown, the sprocketis rotatably mounted on antifriction bearings 38, 39 supported on a pin40, fixed as by welding to the pusher plate, as shown in Figure 6.

As seen in Figure 3, the lower edge of the pusher plate 23 has anoutwardly and downwardly inclined end portion 41 at its outer end, whichcooperates with a rounded surface 42 at the extreme end of the cutterbar guide 21, so that an upward camming action is exerted on the outerend of the pusher plate and the corner sprocket carried thereby whenthey are retracted bodily inwardly toward the center of the machine.

The pusher plate 23 is retracted and extended by hydraulic cylinder 45,pivotally connected at its inner end to an upright support 46 on thecutter bar, and having a piston rod 47 pivotally connected by pin 48 tothe pusher plate adjacent the upper corner of the latter.

The lower outer corner of the pusher plate on which the sprocket 37 ismounted is preferably formed with an arcuate edge 49 substantiallyconcentric with said sprocket, and approximating the cutting range ofthe cutter chain 36 as it passes around said sprocket, as seen in Figure3. The'outer edge of the pusher plate above the arcuate edge 49 isprovided with an extension 50, preferably made of a semifiexiblematerial such as rubber, with its lower edge curved on an arcapproximating the cutting range of the adjacent boring head 1 The useand operation are as follows:

When the pusher plate 23 and the corner sprocket 37 are in normal fullyextended position, as shown in Figure 2, the pusher plate is disposed toone side of the conveyor throat 17 in position to crowd the cuttings onthe mine floor forwardly into position to be engaged by the arms of theadjacent boring head 14'which are rotated as usual in the direction tosweep the cuttings inwardly along the mine floor toward the conveyorthroat, for loading on the latter. In this fully extended position ofthe pusher plate, the corner sprocket 37 has its periphery disposed inaligned position with the cutter chain and its guide on the lower cutterbar 19 so as to direct the cutter chain in its normal cutting operation.

In this cutting position the arcuate outer edge 49 of the pusher plateblocks the escape of loose material rearwardly along the curved sidewall portion cut by the cutter chain as it passes around the cornersprocket, and the extension 50 above the arcuate edge 49 blocks loosematerial from esca ing rearwardly along the side wall or rib cut by theadjacent boring head 14. In this fully extended position the pusherplate is urged downwardly by the spring 33 to maintain engagementbetween the rib 22 and the groove 24 along the bottom edge of saidpusher plate.

When it is desired to retract the cutter chain and is v 3 sprocket fromits fully extended position, as for instance, when withdrawing themachine from the working face for transportation to another place inthe'rnine, the lower cutter bar119 is raised by the hydraulic cylinderand piston 2t) and 20a to a position substantially as shown I in Figure3. The pusher plate 23 is also moved in-' wardly by the hydrauliccylinder .5 and piston rod 47 toca position substantially as shown in'Figure 3. During this inward lateral movement of thepusheriplate thecaniming surface formed by the outwardly and downwardly inclined portion41 of the pusher plate rides upwardly over the adjacent end of thecutter bar guide'21 so that the sprocket '37 is moved both inwardly andup-1 advance of the machine, upper and lower cutter bars mounted on saidframe'rearwardly of and normally" disposed generally tangential to thevertical diameters of the boring heads, a longitudinally extendingconveyor on the frame having a cuttings receiving throat opening 7 ingsaid outer ends of the pusher plates when the pusher adjacent the floorlevel between said boring heads, pusher plates on opposite sides of saidconveyor throat mounted on and slidable relative to said lower cutterbar upwardly and laterally inwardly toward retracted positions andlaterally outwardly and downwardly toward extended positions, idlersprockets for the cutter chain of said lower cutter bar rotatablymounted on and carried by" the outer ends of said'pusher plates, saidpusher plates 7 having guide means adjacent their outer ends slidablycooperating with guide means on the lowercutter bar for elevating saidouter ends of the pusher plates with their idler sprockets when thepusher plates and sprockets are moved toward said retracted positionsand for lowerplates and sprockets are moved toward said extendedpositions, and power means for bodily extending or retracting the pusherplates and sprockets.

V 2. The structure of claim l in which the guide meanst cam surfaces. pV

3. The structure of claim 1, and vertically yieldable on-the pusherplates and low er cutterbar have coacti ng means normally urging thepusher plates downwardly into slidable contactrwith the lower cutterbar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,801,836 Risse Aug; 6, 1957

